OnlineColleges.com used a 10-point scale that weighed 14 metrics using 2015-16 data from the National Center of Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, according to a press release. The metrics include number of distance education programs offered, ratio of online and traditional students, average tuition costs, graduation and retention rates, and total electronic library collections, according to the website.

The San Juan College clock tower in Farmington rises over a campus ranked ninth in New Mexico among colleges with online offerings by website OnlineColleges.com.(Photo: Daily Times file photo)

New Mexico State University’s main campus earned the top rank in the state, and several of Eastern New Mexico University campuses also made the top 10 list.

San Juan College has 40 distance-education students enrolled in 9 different online programs offered at the college, which has more than 163,000 items in its electronic library collections, according to the website.

Toni Hopper Pendergrass, president of San Juan College, said the college "is honored to be recognized as a top online school in New Mexico."

"We are continually striving to provide high quality programs and services for students both locally and nationally, and it is a privilege to work with so many talented employees who embrace our mantra of 'success matters,'" Pendergrass said in an email.

Navajo Technical University ranked 27th, or last, in the state. The Crownpoint school had 21 distance-education students enrolled, though it too offers no online-specific programs. It offers more than 45,000 items in its electronic library collections.

The top-ranking New Mexico State University main campus had 39 distance-education students enrolled in 22 different online programs, and the college has more than 160,000 items in its electronic library collections.

OnlineColleges.com evaluated 27 online college programs in New Mexico and more than 2,500 online colleges across the nation in this study, according to the website. According to its website, Online Colleges.com is based in Foster City, California and "is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST), a publicly traded corporation that operates a vertical marketing and media online business in the United States and internationally." QuinStreet, Inc. has been Better Business Bureau accredited since 2000 and has an A+ rating from BBB, according to the BBB website.

Megan Petersen covers business and education for The Daily Times. Reach her at 505-564-4621 or mpetersen@daily-times.com.